Amman, May 26 (Petra) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sharply condemned Israel’s intensified military operations in the Gaza Strip, expressing that he no longer understands the objective of the Israeli army and warning that he can no longer support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

According to Deutsche Welle, Merz stated in a televised interview with the WDR network on Monday that “the Israeli government must not take any action that its closest allies are no longer willing to accept.” He issued a rare firm rebuke of Israel’s conduct, highlighting Berlin’s position as one of Israel’s main allies alongside the United States.

Merz added that “inflicting harm on civilians to this extent, as increasingly witnessed in recent days, cannot be justified as a war against Hamas.”

Separately, several members of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the Bundestag called for an immediate halt to German arms exports to Israel.

Adis Ahmetovic, foreign policy expert for the SPD parliamentary group, told the German magazine Stern, “German weapons should not be used to spread humanitarian disasters and violate international law. Therefore, we urge Netanyahu’s government to show readiness for a ceasefire and return to the negotiating table.”

His colleague, Ralf Stegner, emphasized, “The humanitarian catastrophe faced by Palestinian civilians and the violation of international law by Netanyahu’s government must end immediately, and it must not be prolonged with German weapons.”

SPD parliamentarian Isabel Cademartori warned that Germany could be complicit in war crimes by supplying arms to Israel. She told Stern, “This could lead to Germany itself being prosecuted by international courts,” urging the German government to restrict arms exports to Israel, particularly tank ammunition and spare parts.

//Petra// AF
26/05/2025 21:38:05